A Pure Heart
by PowerSchlumpfi
Summary: Inspired by 4x08. Emma finds out that Killian's heart is not where it belongs and is determined to get it back.


**A/N: Just a "little" something I wrote today because I didn't know what to do with my feelings after that episode. Turned out a bit longer than I initially intended, but well... :) It's not beta-read, so please don't be too hard on me. xx**

**Disclaimer: I do not own OUAT. (unfortunately)**

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><p>Something was different. It was the way he looked at her; there was still love in his eyes, but at the same time they looked somewhat empty. Like something important was missing.<p>

They had finally gotten rid of those stupid ribbons and she'd thought he'd be happy; he was, but not quite as much as she'd expected him to be. Emma's smile faded as she looked up to him and she reached out to cup his cheek with her hand and caress it softly with her thumb. He leaned into her hand, closing his eyes and swallowing hard. Something was wrong.

"Hey." Emma said softly "What's the matter? Are you alright?"

Killian gave her a half-hearted smile that was supposed to encourage her, but only got her even more worried.

"Of course I am, love. Everything's fine. I'm always alright."

Emma frowned. She knew for certain he _wasn't_ always alright. No one was. And he certainly wasn't alright _now_.

"You don't look alright. What's wrong, Killian?"

Her hand slid from his cheek down to his chest and stopped at the very spot where his heart was supposed to be. Killian tensed up and took a sharp breath as he watched her frowning at the lack of a heartbeat.

"What the…?" she murmured and he closed his eyes.

Panic arose in her chest as she looked back up to him. "Killian?"

"I… I'm so sorry, Emma."

She brought her second hand up to his chest to feel again. But there was still nothing. She felt tears prickling in her eyes. Something had happened while she'd been busy with herself and the Snow Queen and she hadn't even noticed until now.

"Wha…What happened? Where is it?"

Killian said nothing, but he didn't have to. There were only so many people in Storybrooke who could rip out a heart and she knew for certain that Regina didn't do it.

Emma's eyes darkened. "Bloody bastard." She said and Killian couldn't help a very small smile at her choice of words, even though he didn't feel like smiling at all.

He wanted to tell her everything, wanted to pour out his heart to her and it hurt so much that he couldn't. He was a puppet, nothing more. But he _could_ give her some hints.

"I left you a message on the talking phone the day you wanted to get rid of your magic, but it was deleted." He said with pained look on his face.

Emma looked at him and nodded, before she pulled out her phone.

"Maybe I can…" she mumbled as she closed her eyes and held it in front of her. If she only concentrated enough, if she only wanted it enough… Only moments later her phone vibrated in her hand and signaled an incoming voice mail. She smiled at that small victory and opened it to listen to it, while she kept her eyes locked on his.

"Swan, it's Killian again, you have to listen to me**,** I know that you've been to see Gold, I saw what you did. If he's promised to get rid of your powers, don't listen to him, he doesn't want to help you, he-he wants to collect your powers in a bloody magic hat and when he does you'll be sucked in too." She raised an eyebrow.

"I-I don't know what he's planning but I know that he's been lying to Belle. The dagger he gave her was a fake. I only know all this because- because _I'm afraid I've been lying to you too_." Holding her breath, Emma steadied herself mentally for what he said next. She closed her eyes and kept listening.

„Gold blackmailed me into helping him, he knew I'd do whatever it takes to be with you, and used it against me." His desperate words in her ear and the pained look in his eyes were enough to make her swallow hard. She could already feel new tears prickling in her eyes.

„I just wanted to be a better man for you, I failed. And now because of itI might lose you**.** _I'm sorry." __One silent tear escaped her eyes before she could stop it. She reached out for his hand, without looking away from him once. _

„But _I hope that you never forgive me_ because that means you'll get this in time to save yourself**.** Goodbye." The voicemail ended with a peep and Emma used her free hand to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"Killian." She said, her voice quiet and hoarse. "Why didn't you tell me about this earlier? You know I trust you! And of course I'd have forgiven you! _I forgive you. _Gold plays and tricks people – and he _hates_ you. It's not your fault. Okay?"

Killian looked down, sighing deeply.

"Emma, my love." He said with a small, sad smile. "I don't deserve you."

"Why would you say that?" Emma's voice was low and soft and affectionate. She stepped close to him, there faces now mere centimeters apart. Killian swallowed, his eyes darting up to meet hers. Before he could say anything, Emma wrapped her arms around him and sealed his lips with a soft, but passionate kiss. She felt him trembling in her arms as he kissed her back and silent tears escaped his eyes, rolling down to meet her nose and their lips, making their kiss taste like salty tears of love and desperation.

"I love you." He said with a shaking voice, but so much love and sincerity, that it sent a shiver down her spine.

"I love you, too." Emma whispered, still close to her face. If he already loved her that much without his heart, she could only imagine how much he loved her when he had it. And she – she felt the same. And suddenly she wasn't scared anymore. She would fight for him, no matter what it took, just like he'd always fought for her. Now it was her turn to show him how much she loved him.

Without thinking about it twice, she put out her handcuffs and cuffed him to the bars of the cell behind them, before he could even react.

"I'm sorry, Killian, but I have to do this." She said with an apologetic look and turned on her heels.

"What are you doing, Swan?" he asked, more worried than angry.

"I'm gonna get your heart back. But you have to stay here. He can control you and I can't risk that he makes you do something that'll destroy you."

"EMMA!" he yelled after her, but she had made up her mind. She would get back what belonged to him. The heart of the man she loved.

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><p>On her way out, Emma called the only two people she thought could help her with this: Belle and Regina. Belle was the voice of reason when it came to Rumpelstiltskin and Regina had the most experience and knowledge when it came to magic and ripped out hearts.<p>

Ten minutes later, she arrived at the library, where Belle and Regina where already waiting for her, both looking somewhat confused and worried at the same time.

"I hope you have a good reason to bring me here in the middle of the day." Regina said, arms crossed in front of her chest.

"What's wrong, Emma? You sounded devastated on the phone." Belle stepped forward, giving her a sympathetic look.

"I'm afraid something happened and you won't like it, Belle. I'm so sorry." Emma said and ran her fingers through her hair in a nervous gesture. She took a deep breath and decided it was best to get it out without further ado.

"It's Rumpelstiltskin. He ripped out the heart of someone I really care about and I need to get it back. But I need your help."

Regina and Belle stared at her for a few moments. Regina raised an eyebrow.

"The pirate." She stated and Emma nodded a bit reluctantly.

"No. No, no, no. You must be wrong. Rumple wouldn't do that! He's changed!" Belle said, but didn't sound completely convinced herself.

"Well, his heart is missing and I know Gold blackmailed him before. He used his feelings for me against him. Plus, there are only so many people in this town who can rip out a heart." Emma gave Regina a meaningful glance.

"_I_ didn't do it." She said with a shrug "I have no use for the heart of a redeemed pirate. Especially not of one my son's so fond of."

"Okay." Belle said, sounding resigned and a bit angry. "He's in the shop. Let's go talk to him then. I just need to get something first."

She went to the back of the library and came back with something wrapped into white fabric. "He'll have to give it back." She said determined, before they left the library together.

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><p>As soon as they reached Gold's shop, Emma couldn't hold herself back anymore. She burst through the door and stormed in, startling Gold who was brewing something colorful on the counter.<p>

"WHERE IS IT?" She shouted and Gold put his utensils down.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, dearie." He said smugly, but flinched a bit when Belle and Regina came in behind her.

"Is it true?" Belle demanded to know as she strode towards him.

"I really don't know what you mean, my love." He said innocently, but Belle narrowed her eyes.

"YOU HAVE HIS HEART AND I WANT YOU TO GIVE IT BACK. NOW!" The lights in the shop flickered, underlining Emma's fury.

"Do you have it, Rumple? Do you have Hook's heart?" Belle asked again and Gold stared at her, clearly taken aback by the attack of the three women.

"He's not a good man, Belle. He shot you. Why would you fight for him?"

"I fight for what's right. And he's changed. Everyone can see that. You of all people should understand and accept that. So where is it?"

Gold didn't say anything. Emma clenched her fists and tried hard to keep her magic in rein. She was still in control, but she was angry. It was more a problem of holding herself back.

"And why would _you_ care about the pirate's heart?" Rumple asked towards Regina, obviously trying to avoid Belle's questions.

"See, _Dark One_, some of us really try to change and do the right things. Emma and Henry care about the handless wonder, so I'll help them. Because it's the right thing to do. Henry has taught me that. I'm tired of being a villain."

"I really hate to this, but… you don't give me a choice, Rumple." Belle unwrapped the dagger and pointed it towards him. "I demand you to give Hook's heart back."

Gold just stood there, unmoving.

"I can't." he said matter-of-factly and Belle frowned in confusion, as did Emma and Regina.

"But I demand you." Belle said and moved the dagger, but Gold still didn't move.

"It's not the real dagger." Regina stated and Belle's eyes darted over to her.

"Why would you say that?"

"I've studied this thing for years. He gave you a fake."

"She's right, Belle. Hook told me that Gold blackmailed him into helping him and that he knows that he gave you a fake." Emma said, suddenly feeling sorry for Belle.

"Rumple?" Belle stared at her husband, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

He sighed after a short while. "They're right, Belle. I'm sorry. I didn't have a choice, I…"

"JUST GIVE HIS HEART BACK!" Belle yelled, throwing the fake dagger in front of his feet. "YOU'VE BEEN LYING TO ME THE ENITRE TIME?! I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS. THE MIRROR WAS RIGHT."

"Belle." Rumple stepped forward to touch his wife's arm, but she flinched.

"Give. Emma. The. Heart. Back. NOW!" she just said angrily, arms crossed in front of her chest, tears prickling in her eyes.

"But don't you see? If I sacrifice the heart of someone who knew me before I became the Dark One and gather enough magic in the sorcerer's hat, I can free myself from the dagger. I can be free! _We_ can be free! All it takes are two more sacrifices. She -" he pointed towards Emma "- and the pirate."

"You wanted to suck me into that hat." Emma stated scornfully. "You betrayed me."

"Wait? The sorcerer's hat? You have it?" Regina's eyes widened.

"I-I can't believe this." Belle took a few steps back and shook her head. "I thought you had changed. And now you want to kill two innocent people, just because you want to be even more powerful?"

"But I have! I'm doing this for us!" Gold tried to reach for her, but she flinched even further back.

"I don't even know what 'us' is anymore. Please, Rumple. Just give Emma the heart." Belle was begging now, sad and desperate because her relationship just shattered in a million pieces. Gold looked at her for another while, before sighing and turning around to open the safe behind the counter. He took out a wooden box and put it down on the counter. Then he opened it and took the bright, red heart in his hands.

"Give me just one reason why I shouldn't just crush it here and now." He said and Emma felt her heart skipping a beat. No. She couldn't lose another boyfriend. She couldn't lose the second man she truly loved.

"Please. Don't." Emma said with tears in her eyes.

"It's bright red…" Regina murmured beside her, sounding surprised. "No darkness. His heart is pure. The heart of a hero. Now who would've thought that?"

"Please!" Emma begged, her heart bumping hard against her ribcage.

"Rumple." Belle approached him again, carefully watching him.

Regina sighed deeply. "Can we just stop this ridiculous charade? Emma, remember your magic is triggered by your emotions, and true love is the strongest emotion and the strongest magic of them all." She said. Emma looked at her, her heart racing. Then she nodded, closed her eyes and concentrated on his heart, on him and the feelings she had for him. She thought about Neverland, when she was still cautious around him, about the Beanstalk, about their trip to past, about how he found her in New York, about how he traded his ship for her, about how he never gave up on her and always fought for her. She thought about how he slowly won her heart without ever pushing her, how he's always there for her, how he loves her with every fiber of his being and gave up everything for her. She thought about how much she loved him. It had taken her a while to let him in and to accept her feelings, but now she knew. And she knew she would never give up on him or their love.

Emma opened her eyes again when she suddenly felt something throbbing in her hands and there it was. She'd done it. She looked up and found Gold staring at her. He tried to get it back, but he was powerless against her magic protecting the heart.

"Cora." She said with a smile "She couldn't rip out my heart back in the Enchanted Forest. Now I'm going to make sure nobody will ever be able to rip out his' ever again."

Regina smirked. "Nothing is stronger than True Love. Not even you. But really, what were you expecting? Trying to crush the heart of the product of True Love's True Love. Maybe you should consider overthinking your priorities."

Rumpelstiltskin clenched his fists, as Emma and Regina left the shop, leaving him and Belle alone to sort through their relationship problems.

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><p>"Thank you." Emma said when they were outside.<p>

"Well, I didn't do much." Regina shrugged, but gave her a small smile.

"You showed me how to use my magic. I still have a lot to learn. I couldn't have done it without you. So, thank you."

"No need to thank me. It was the right thing to do."

"I have to ask you for another favor." Emma looked down to the throbbing heart in her hands. "I need you to put it back where it belongs."

Regina shook her head and laid one hand on Emma's forearm.

"You should do it yourself. You have watched people do it and you love him. It should be you."

"But I don't know if I can do it."

"You can. Don't underestimate yourself, Emma."

Emma took a deep breath and nodded, the heart in her hands beating in the same rhythm as her own. It was time to bring it back where it belonged.

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><p>Killian was leaning against the bars when Emma came back, his head tilted down and his eyes shut tightly. When he heard her footsteps, he looked up, eyes still pained and desperate. Then his gaze fell down to her hands, in which she carried his heart carefully and his eyes lid up.<p>

"Swan! You… you did it." He stammered and Emma gave him a soft smile as she came closer.

"I did."

"How?"

"Turns out True Love is more powerful than the Dark One." Emma smiled broadly, well aware of what she was implying. She wanted him to know. She wanted him to know how she felt about him and that she was all in. _In it for the long haul_, as he'd said once.

"But…do you mean…?" Killian stammered again and Emma laughed quietly.

"Yes, you idiot." She said and punched his upper arm playfully. "Guess you don't have to worry about the next sleeping curse anymore." Emma joked, poking her tongue out at him in a flirty manner.

"Emma." He breathed, pulling at his handcuffs in a desperate need to touch her.

"Oh, right!" She said as she watched him struggle and pulled out her key to open the handcuffs, careful not to drop his heart.

As soon as he was free, he reached up to cup her cheek with his hand and pressed his lips softly against hers.

"Now, let's get this back where it belongs, huh?" Emma said and held his heart up in front of him.

"I think it already is where it belongs." Killian smiled warmly and Emma shook her head with a smile.

"No, it belongs where I need it most. And that is in the chest of the man I love."

"I really don't deserve you." He said, but Emma shook her head.

"I know you still struggle with self-loathe and see yourself as a villain. But Killian, you aren't. Look at your heart." She held it up in front of him. "Do you see?"

"It…It's not black?" Killian stared at it, completely taken aback. He hadn't paid attention to it when the Crocodile had ripped it out of his chest.

"No, it's not. It's the heart of a hero. Because you are a good man, Killian and you always have been. You never did anything bad for selfish reasons or out of cowardice. You were always led by love and that's why your heart is still pure. And even if it was tainted once, it is not anymore."

Emma held his heart to his chest, right to the spot where it belonged. She looked up into his eyes and pressed it softly back inside. He cringed a bit and took in a sharp breath.

Then all emotions crushed down on him at once. He'd felt them before, but they had been dulled and laced with an emptiness he couldn't quite fathom.

He couldn't suppress a sob, accompanied by a few tears falling from his eyes as he lifted Emma up and spun her around, his face buried in her hair. Emma shrieked and laughed, holding on to him tightly.

When he set her down again, he cupped her cheek with his hand and kissed her, taking everything in, burning her and that moment into his memory.

"I love you." He said close to her lips and Emma smiled broadly.

"I love you, too." Emma said, starting to feel a bit dizzy from all the happiness. She wasn't used to it. She never had anyone in her life, not really and not like that.

A loud sniff from the other side of the room made them jump apart. Snow, Charming, Elsa and Henry where all standing there, staring at them. Snow was the one who was crying.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She said. "I'm just so happy for you, Emma."

"Uh, how long have you guys been standing there?" Emma blushed and smiled shyly.

"Long enough to hear the important parts." Henry said with a grin and came over to hug his mother. Then he turned to Killian and hugged him, too.

"Thank you for making my Mom happy." He said. Killian padded his back softly.

"Always, Mate." He changed a smile with Emma over Henry's head.

"Can we go sailing again this week?" Henry asked as he stepped back. Killian ruffled his hair and pulled the boy in for another short hug.

"Of course." He said.

"Awesome."

There was a bustle of hugs and encouragements then and for once, every seemed happy. The Snow Queen was defeated, Anna was found and Killian had his heart back. Everything was just as it should be.

Charming pulled Killian into a brotherly hug.

"Welcome to the family then, _Mate._" He said, imitating Killian's pronunciation of the word. Killian just laughed and nodded. He looked over to Emma and saw her smiling broadly at him. Emma saw him smiling back and her heart jumped excitedly in her chest.

She was happy.

He was happy.

They were all happy.

Just as it should be.

(She just wondered how long it would last this time.)


End file.
